Breathing the Olympic Spirit – The Mission of the FIG in
the 21st Century

FIG President Professor Dr-Ing. Holger Magel

WHERE THERE IS NOBLE COMPETITION, THERE IS VICTORY

Ladies and Gentlemen, in its publicity campaign to attract a large number
of visitors to the forthcoming Olympic Games here in this city, our host
this year, Greece, has adopted the slogan “Where there is noble
Competition, there is Victory”. The slogan comes, as many of you will
know, from Aristotle, one of the greatest thinkers in our history –
unfortunately often wrongly interpreted and put into practice in the sense
of “Where there is ruthless Competition, there is Victory“. Many
recent political, banking and managerial scandals, in both the old and the
new worlds, bear witness to this enormous misunderstanding of Aristotle’s
message. As against this, it is gratifying that responsible politicians and
academics, such as Johannes Rau, President of the Federal Republic of
Germany, whose successor is being elected today, and the Swiss Professor
Ulrich Thielemann, are increasingly calling for a new economic ethic;
for an ethic concerning a more prudent management of our natural resources
and our environment, for an ethic concerning a fair balance between
productivity and quality of life, between the maximisation of profits and
the optimisation of profits, and finally for an ethic concerning the balance
between the interests of commercial undertakings and the interests of
society as a whole.

Let me say right at the beginning: “Breathing the Olympic Spirit”
means for the FIG in the best Aristotelian sense the support of a noble
competition for the encouragement of the most innovative ideas, of the most
sustainable strategies and of the socially fairest measures, and where
possible the implementation of them itself. In many countries of the this
world noble competition or the competition of ideas is understood as meaning
simply a social market economy – in contradistinction to unbridled
capitalism on the one hand and stifling and rigid (State) socialism on the
other hand. But unfortunately the much praised social market economy is in a
state of crisis, and for this reason - although the concept undoubtedly
continues to be valid – can in many cases no longer be recommended one
hundred per cent and applied as a universal remedy. The miserable economic
and social data in many developed countries confirm the illness of a (too)
social market economy. What is needed is the revival of the ancient Greek
principle of noble competition, what is needed is the noble competition of
the best ideas, in short the competition of innovation. When these ideas and
innovation take account of the principle of sustainability, victory will
result. In relation to the social market economy this means that we must
come more to an eco-social and thus to a sustainable market economy. I also
see noble competition in my own university where under the umbrella of the
requirement of sustainability a competition for the best ideas and research
projects for the future and the victories of the most innovative teaching
areas may be observed. I see this on a greater scale in my own country, in
Bavaria and in Germany, where the public authorities must give up
traditional methods of administration and are required instead to develop
new ways of thinking and new scales of values for the public good. I see
this also and particularly in the new expanded Europe and elsewhere, where
in the future it will be a matter of a sharper and it is to be hoped noble
competition of ideas and innovation. Old recipes are no longer valid. The
changed political, economic, demographic and technological conditions demand
new approaches. They present new questions and new challenges, require new
approaches, answers and solutions, in short: they demand innovation!

In political, economic and academic circles there is a growing consensus
that only innovation provides the preconditions for more growth and
affluence and thus also (once more) for more social justice and peace. Here
it is also necessary to take leave of the idea that “Father State” is alone
responsible for the welfare of its citizens. The civil society must promote
and assume more and more self responsibility. But particularly the civil
society requires innovation just as much as the State, communities and the
economy!

Innovation is ultimately decisive, on the global, national and local
levels, for poverty and affluence, for what is viable and for what is not
viable in the future.

HOW IS INNOVATION TO BE ACHIEVED?

But, Ladies and Gentlemen, how are we going to achieve innovation, what
are the central factors which lead to innovation?

One of the most successful strategy consultants acting on a global basis
Professor Roland Berger, an honorary doctor of my University,
recently identified seven decisive factors for economic growth and the
development of affluence. They are:

natural resources

human resources (human labour)

technical progress

capital

knowledge, including the marketing of this knowledge

the political regulatory framework, e.g. a social market economy as
against a planned economy and

scale of values and performance paradigms.

Berger finally concludes that the speed of structural change in State,
society and economy is decisive for growth, employment and affluence.
Structural change – thus once again the central message – will be best
stimulated by innovation, by freedom and by (noble) competition.

Back to the factors which make for innovation: whereas in the past there
was no lack of factors 1 and 2, the present day challenges lie more by
factors 3 (technical progress), 4 (capital) and 5 (knowledge). This is where
in Berger’s view the future of a nation will be decided; it is these 3
factors which determine the division of the world in the
industrial/knowledge age into poor and rich. Taking Germany as an example,
as well as many other European States, he ascertained that much too little
is being invested in High Tech or High Serve both as regards technical
progress as well as capital and particularly knowledge, i.e. research and
teaching. The adherence to successful but, from the standpoint of
innovation, in the final analysis old techniques such as mechanical and
vehicle engineering will not suffice in order to survive in the future.

Where too little innovation takes place, the necessary structural changes
will take place too little from the inside and will be imposed from the
outside.

I believe that each of us is aware of the central importance of the above
factors and considerations, particularly as we belong as surveyors and
geodesists to a strongly technology permeated and at the same politically
influenced profession. Without knowledge, i.e. without research and
teaching, without impressive technical progress and without the availability
of investment we would not have reached the stage about which our keynote
speaker IAG President Professor Gerhard Beutler is going to speak
tomorrow, namely “The
Revolution in Geodesy and Surveying”.

But let me refer to an equally central important factor which
particularly in the context of the current good governance discussions and
appeals and in the light of many mistakes in international aid policy has
moved increasingly into the focus of international attention. That is
success factor 6, the so-called political regulatory framework. This also
includes the so-called institutional question. Without the lasting
establishment of an “institutional landscape” based on good governance
principles, i.e. without the establishment of cadastres and land registers
in transitional, post-conflict or transformation countries, the aid provided
by the international community in the field of land reform will remain to a
large extent ineffective. Without the assurance of a functioning and
corruption free administration and public service, many supporting measures
in e.g. Urban and Rural Development will remain ineffective; without the
establishment of an ethically oriented private economy there will be no
lasting success. Added to this must also be a change of mind in the scale of
values, i.e. it must be generally recognised that achievement must be worth
while. Achievement involves also the creation and recognition of elites and
corresponding educational institutions. I cannot go further into this
subject here, but would at least like to point to the renewed “New
Institutional Economics” discussion.

Thus far, ladies and gentlemen, the central important messages which all
or many nations of this world must take to heart. In addition to these
factors, based above all on innovation, there must naturally be – as already
mentioned – other fundamental conditions of modern and future viable
societies. I mean here above all the strengthening of the communal level and
of local government as well as the participation of the private sector and
of citizens, without which a State – which only activates – cannot be
functional. The history of the world shows us, and does this almost daily,
that this consciousness cannot be imported and cannot be brought about quasi
at the pressing of a button. Careful and lasting self developing processes,
i.e. endogen processes are necessary here. These processes can, and indeed
must, be carefully accompanied and assisted from outside. Finally, it must
be clear to all of us, that everywhere in the world the model of the
paternalistic and centralistic State has failed. The State must assume
vigorous central tasks, which include e.g. responsibility for creating an
appropriate institutional landscape. And I should like just here to make an
absolutely clear acknowledgment in order to prevent misunderstandings. The
necessary or desired strengthening of privatisation must not be allowed to
go hand in hand with a weakening of public administration. It was always the
case, and it will remain the case in the future, that a strong functioning
private sector needs functioning and independent strong partners in the
public sector!

At the same time increased responsibility will rest on communities, the
economy, citizens and NGOs. This is the challenge and the mission, also and
particularly for the FIG in the 21st century!

THE MISSION OF FIG IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Ladies and Gentlemen, the FIG is already 126 years old. We were able last
year to celebrate a splendid jubilee in Paris, and for this I thank our
French friends once again most sincerely. In these over 125 years the FIG
has clearly shown that it has remained dynamic and that it, as I sought to
make clear in my Paris speech, has found answers to the questions of the
time. But I also said that we may not rest on our laurels. I have no reason
to fear that we will not continue to find the right answers – thanks to a
fantastically motivated group of colleagues in the member associations, in
the commissions, in the Council and in the FIG Office. The highly successful
BMW group has an attractive slogan. It is: “Business is people, good
business is good people”. We have these good people, these human
resources, for whom we in the Council and the Office work and who commit
themselves for us and our common ideals and philosophies. We in the FIG
practice not share holder value but a strong stake holder understanding. We
are aware also of the great importance of cooperation with e.g. our sister
organisations such as IAG, ICA, ISPRS and many others, who are committed to
the idea of “building a better world”. But all our efforts would be
limited, if we did not also have a very trusting relationship characterised
by reciprocal benefit and great efficiency with many UN agencies and
international donors, who are also actively represented here.

I thank you all sincerely for the inspiring partnership and the
functioning network. Only in this way can we be successful together in the
face of increasing tasks and react as needed much more quickly than if we
were to seek salvation by ourselves and in reliance on our own resources!

The problem for associations such as the FIG and for functionaries such
as myself is to be able to make clear at home why and for what we
voluntarily spend so much money and time, where the benefit at home arising
from what we do is not directly apparent and felt. Here we all have a common
task in conveying more convincingly the why and wherefore. We should here
make clear of something to which Ulrich Beck, the originator of what has
become the world famous concept of the “risk society”, recently drew to my
attention, namely that our FIG is a wonderful example of cosmopolitanism,
which helps to take away from countries and their citizens anxiety about the
unavoidable globalisation, to prepare them for this and to integrate them in
the international community without taking from them their national
identity. Our FIG stands for richness of history, knowledge, cultures and
values as well as for a peaceful und enriching coexistence. Withdrawal into
our national shells and sticking our heads in the sand is no longer an
answer to the coalescence and the internationalisation of our world. All the
States and citizens of this world must realise and accept this more and more
– in the good sense (growth) as well as in the bad sense (e.g. worsening
global climactic changes or international terrorism). Europe, already so
many sided, has once again set a wonderful example of the right way with the
1st May. And it is a marvellous coincidence that we have a few weeks later
gathered here in Athens in the place where the idea of cosmopolitanism was
born, a sign moreover that the global (cosmos) perspective already existed
much earlier. Cosmopolitanism means nothing else than that we are all
members of this one world but at the same time retain our national or local
(polis) roots – this is after all the ethos of our FIG is characterised and
the way it functions!

We have one request to our partners in the UN: please make these thoughts
clear to the national Governments and say how useful and how necessary are
the activities of such civil society associations, in order to make the
world a more peaceful, more just and finally also a safer place.

As we have just heard, this goal can only be achieved by more innovation.
The technical-scientific FIG stands for the generation and implementation of
decisive innovation! It wants to encourage innovation for and in its member
countries and it wants to be continually innovative in its own ranks and
commissions. The change in the FIG which is taking place at the moment and
is reflected in our motto “shaping the change” is clear evidence of the
ability of the FIG to change. This ability should also not in the middle
term fight shy of possible changes in the commissions.

Everyone who takes part in sport and knows the Olympian motto, citius,
altius, fortius, knows just as every researcher knows that
innovation is achieved only through more competition. Everyone also knows
that in research as in sport competition must take place in accordance with
recognised rules, whether they be ethical or sporting. The FIG has in recent
years cultivated and encouraged the competitive spirit; we have endeavoured
through intensified exchanges with our sister organisations and through
major conferences as well as internally between the commissions to arrive at
greater competition and at the best ideas. The balance is respectable. I
will in my presidential report during the General Assembly set out what has
happened alone since Paris. Let me pick out just one example: as a quick
response to the request of UNEP Chief Töpfer we set up in Commission
8 our own Working Group “Disaster and Risk Prevention and Management”
in order to find here innovative answers and solutions by our profession to
and for one of the most urgent problems in our vulnerable world. Professor
Beutler will tell us tomorrow what fascinating innovative ways are open to
us in the intensified cooperation in the use of the global geodetic
infrastructure; the many presentations in this Working Week will once more
confirm the dynamism and innovative spirit in our professional fields and in
the FIG and the great extent to which the success factors which lead to
innovation have played a role, whether they be human resources or whether it
be a matter of technical progress or of knowledge including capacity
building, the establishment of the political framework as in cadastre and
land management fields or in scales of value. We can present these
potentials, ladies and gentlemen, with pride to our global partners as well
as to national governments and institutions. We want to work further on
ensuring that the FIG remains a guarantee for lasting innovation as the
pre-condition for more fairness, quality of life and balance between poor
and rich.

“Breathing the Olympic spirit” – in this spirit we want here on
this classical spot to experience a noble competition of the candidates for
important functions in the FIG. This is where the future of the FIG will
particularly be decided! “Where there is noble competition, there is
victory” – irrespective of the outcome of the competition I can already
say this: one victor is quite clear. It is the FIG, which can be proud of
its capacity for continual self renewal and innovation through ever new
heads and ideas. It can also be proud of such member associations as here in
Athens or next year in Cairo etc., because they are prepared to act as hosts
for such major events and to invest for them much time, energy and money. I
know that our Greek friends have put in a great deal of effort and I thank
them already for this most sincerely!

Even when knowledge, capital and technical progress decide world wide
between poverty and affluence, persons who are themselves enthusiastic and
can inspire enthusiasm in others remain without doubt the A and O of every
organisation. I am proud to be able to say that there is no shortage of such
persons in the FIG.

In this sense I wish our Conference every success.
The FIG Working Week 2004 is hereby opened!

International Federation of Surveyors, FIG, is a United Nations and World Bank recognized
non-governmental organization of national member associations
and covers the whole range of professional fields within the
global surveying community. It provides an international forum
for discussion and development aiming to promote professional
practice and standards.